Smart card for passport, electronic passport, and method, system, and apparatus for authenticating person holding smart card or electronic passport

Abstract

A smart card authenticates a cardholder. The smart card includes a substrate, a sensor module, a wireless transceiver module, and a power circuit. The sensor module includes (a) a biometric sensor adapted to detect biometric information from a person's body, (b) a processor unit adapted to authenticate the person in response to the detected biometric information and generate an authentication signal representing an authentication result, and (c) a memory adapted to store biometric information of a specific individual associated with the smart card. The wireless transceiver module transmits signals received from the processor unit and receives a wirelessly-transmitted power signal. The power circuit generates at least one supply voltage from the received power signal and provides the supply voltage to the sensor module. An electronic passport is embedded with the smart card, and a terminal module is used for wirelessly transmitting power to and receiving signals from the electronic passport.

1 .- 195 . (canceled) 
     
     
         196 . A smart passport for authenticating a person presenting the passport, the passport comprising:
 a passport substrate;   a power circuit, integrated with the passport substrate, having a power antenna to receive a wirelessly-transmitted power signal and a power output to generate at least one supply voltage from the received power signal;   a biometric sensor, integrated with the passport substrate and powered by the at least one supply voltage, the biometric sensor detecting biometric information from a purported skin site of the person's body and determining whether the purported skin site is living tissue;   a processor unit, integrated with the passport substrate and powered by the at least one supply voltage, the processor unit having a biometric input coupled with the biometric sensor, and having an authentication signal output,   a signal antenna, integrated with the passport substrate and in communication with the authentication signal output to wirelessly transmit the authentication signal,   wherein the authentication signal output is generated to indicate whether the person is authenticated according to the detected biometric information and whether the person is determined to be alive.   
     
     
         197 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein:
 the passport substrate has a passport holder's photograph and personal data disposed thereon; and   the biometric sensor is located away from the passport holder's photograph and personal data.   
     
     
         198 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein the biometric sensor is located near an edge of the passport. 
     
     
         199 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , further including an indicator coupled with the authentication signal output to indicate whether the person is authenticated using at least one of:
 a light emitting diode (LED);   a liquid crystal display (LCD); or   a sound player.   
     
     
         200 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein the biometric sensor is substantially transparent. 
     
     
         201 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , further comprising:
 a display, integrated with the passport substrate and powered by the at least one supply voltage, the display showing an image associated with a passport holder according to whether the person is authenticated.   
     
     
         202 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein the biometric sensor is substantially transparent and overlaid on the display. 
     
     
         203 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein the power antenna comprises a plurality of power antennas coupled with a regulator, each of the plurality of power antennas having a turn number less than 5. 
     
     
         204 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , further comprising:
 a clock circuit that generates a clock signal from the received power signal.   
     
     
         205 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , wherein the wherein the authentication signal output is generated as an encrypted authentication signal output. 
     
     
         206 . The smart passport of  claim 205 , wherein the wireless module transmits the encrypted authentication signal. 
     
     
         207 . The smart passport of  claim 196 , further comprising:
 a memory that stores biometric information of a passport holder,   wherein the authentication signal output is generated to indicate whether the person is authenticated according to the detected biometric information by comparing the detected biometric information against the stored biometric information of the passport holder.   
     
     
         208 . A terminal module for authenticating a person holding a smart card, the terminal module comprising:
 a support plate sized to receive the smart card;   a processor unit;   a power antenna coupled with the processor unit; and   a signal antenna coupled with the processor unit,   wherein, when the smart card is in proximity to the support plate, the signal antenna wirelessly receives an authentication signal from the powered smart card in response to the smart card wirelessly receiving power from the power antenna, and   wherein the signal antenna wirelessly transmits a result signal to the smart card in accordance with the received authentication signal, the received authentication signal generated by the smart card to indicate whether the person is authenticated according to biometric information detected by a biometric sensor of the smart card and whether the person is determined to be alive according to a liveness sensor of the smart card.   
     
     
         209 . The terminal module of  claim 208 , wherein the received authentication signal is encrypted, and further comprising:
 a decryption circuit that is coupled to the processor unit and decrypts the encrypted authentication signal and outputs a decrypted authentication signal;   an encryption circuit that is coupled to the processor unit and encrypts the result signal prior to the signal antenna wirelessly transmitting the result signal to the smart card.